SOLAR FILM WITH A DIFFERENCE

A vehicle sunshade can reduce heat
buildup in a parked car by more than
48 degrees Fahrenheit.

Summer's hottest days can turn the inside of your car or truck into an oven. Here are a few ways to keep from scorching your fingers on that steering wheel.

Ah, summer. That time of year when the car seat feels like a broiler pan on the backs of your legs, when the air inside the parked car clings like a stifling blanket around your nose and mouth, and when the steering wheel is scorching and untouchable.

Not your fondest memories of summertime, are they? But year after year, summer after summer, Americans face the same hot dilemma: how to keep temperatures down in our cars and trucks while they're parked.

It's not a trivial exercise. On a 95-degree (Fahrenheit) day, the air inside a parked vehicle can reach 145 degrees; the steering wheel can be 159 degrees; the car seat can reach 162 degrees; and the dashboard can be 181 degrees to the touch, according to research conducted for auto sunshade company Axius, a division of the Pennzoil-Quaker State Co.

Ouch! No wonder a recent test in extreme heat showed that a hot dashboard can be used to fry some bacon and eggs, and even bake cookies.
 

On a 95-degree (Fahrenheit) day,
the air inside a parked vehicle can
reach 145 degrees; enough to fry
eggs and bacon.

There's no reason to just sit around and stew about it, though. Even if you live in Death Valley, you can do things to relieve the heat buildup in your vehicle and reduce fading and wear on your vehicle interior.
 

Focus on the Glass
Window glass is a big source of external heat in a vehicle. It's easy to see why.

"Some of that glass [on a vehicle] can act as a magnifier," said Kevin Wood, an officer in the Arizona Public Department of Safety.

That's why window tinting has become increasingly popular. Depending on the type of tint used, nearly all of the ultraviolet rays coming through a car window and up to 65 percent of solar energy or heat can be eliminated, said Alan Lawson, sales manager for SunTek Window Films of Martinsville, Va.

By the way, some drivers have more than one reason for getting windows tinted. Young drivers "think the dark tint looks cool" on their vehicles, Lawson said.

But remember to check with law enforcement in your area. Some states restrict how dark a car's window film can be, and which car windows it can be placed on. Typically, police officers want to be able to see into a vehicle through the driver and front-passenger windows. Some motorcyclists also strive to make eye contact with drivers to confirm they and their bikes are in sight and being monitored by the driver, which is another reason to keep those front-door windows clear of dark tints.



Less-Expensive Options
A less-expensive option for reducing heat and sunlight getting inside vehicles is manual sunshades.

"Use of a vehicle sunshade can prevent heat buildup in a parked car by more than 48 degrees Fahrenheit," said Deirdre Watt, senior vice president of Axius, which sells both window tinting and sunshades. "There's a noticeable difference in terms of comfort, which makes the 30-second effort it takes to put up a sunshade worthwhile."

Yet, an Axius phone survey of more than 800 vehicle owners in April 2000 showed that while 71 percent knew about auto sunshades, just 22 percent used them regularly. And 77 percent of sunshade users said they only install a sunshade if they plan to be away from their vehicles for more than 30 minutes.

Some manual sunshades are attached to the front windshield pillars and are pulled across the window. Others aren't attached but must be inserted and unfolded behind the windshield. The least expensive, priced at just a few dollars, are plain cardboard shades, usually with a lightly colored top.

But Mary Carter, vice president at Creative Consumer Products Inc. in Las Cruces, N.M., said her company—the second largest sunshade manufacturer in the country—makes silver-colored, reflective shades with foam or bubble backing that are more effective than plain cardboard.

"All of them to some degree will shade the interior, just like a curtain does in your house," Carter said. "And the reflective shades, if they're close to the glass, will reflect some heat from the car."

Creative Consumer Products makes sunshades for side windows, too. They're typically circles with somewhat sheer material that still allows some view outside. But noting police concerns, Carter said, "We don't recommend putting them on the driver side window or the front passenger window."

Rather, she said, they work well for rear-seat riders, including children—provided, of course, that the young ones don't yank them down from the windows and play with them!
 

Handling the Heat
Even drivers who don't have window tinting or sunshades can alleviate some discomfort in their vehicles by a few smart moves, Wood said.

Of course, try to find a shady spot to park the car. The temperature differential in the shade can be well worth a few extra steps in the parking lot. But keep in mind a parking spot that's shaded by trees can put abrasive tree sap and bird droppings onto your car's paint. Automakers typically advise in their owner's manuals that you wash these items off quickly to prevent damage to paint and the car's finish. A better shady spot in the heat of summer, then, would be one where a building or carport provides the shade.

Tossing a towel over the steering wheel of a parked car on a hot summer day can buffer the wheel and keep a bit of heat from being absorbed, Wood said, adding that a driver should never try to drive a vehicle with a steering wheel that's too hot to handle.

Don't try to drive off if you're sitting uncomfortably on a hot car seat, either. This could mean you're not correctly positioned behind the wheel and not in proper control of the vehicle, Wood said.

Instead, get the car's interior cooled down first. Remote car starters sold by aftermarket firms can do this by starting your vehicle and running the air conditioner before you even get to your vehicle. Even if you manually start your car, be smart about dissipating that built-up heat quickly. Open the windows and sunroof to let the hot, trapped air escape. Some convertibles, such as the BMW 323Ci, even have a feature that allows you to roll down all the windows and lower the soft-top without getting inside the car.

Once you are inside a hot vehicle, turn on the air conditioning to get air circulating and, if necessary, direct the vents toward the steering wheel to cool it down. Remember, once the A/C system has started sending in cool air, you can select the "recirc" button on the A/C for even faster interior cooling.

Extra Attention to Kids, Pets
It always bears repeating that the temperature extremes inside parked vehicles during summer make cars and trucks dangerous places for youngsters and pets.

The National Safe Kids Campaign based in Washington, D.C., advises that you never, ever leave a child in your vehicle, even with the windows down. When the outside temperature is 83 degrees Fahrenheit, and your window is down 2 inches, the temperature inside your car can reach 109 degrees Fahrenheit in just 15 minutes.

Parents sometimes have trouble getting little ones into hot car seats. A couple in Las Vegas invented their own "cool" solution. Using frozen gel packets, their Kool Seat attaches onto a child seat when the child isn't sitting there. The frozen gel packs help counter the rising heat and keep the seat and metal buckles cool to the touch, says Brian Kale, whose wife invented the patent-pending Kool Seat. It retails for around $20.

Obviously, the same extreme temperature conditions inside vehicles can injure and kill animals.

The Humane Society of the United States urges you to never leave your pet unattended inside a vehicle. And whenever you travel with your pet, have drinking water and, preferably, ice cubes with you so your dog or cat does not get dehydrated. The society says ice cubes are "easier on your pet than large amounts of water."

And never have your dog ride in the back of a pickup truck.

Heat-Beating Choices for Your Next Car
Consider buying a light-color car with a light interior if you don't have one. Light colors don't absorb heat as much as black and other dark colors do. The National Safe Kids Campaign estimated that a car with a white interior can heat up inside to 135 degrees Fahrenheit on a 79-degree day, while the temperature inside a car with a black interior could go as high as 192 degrees.

If the heat really becomes an issue and your new-car budget isn't constrained, you can look into some new models that offer built-in sunshades for the rear window and, in some cases, the rear doors.

Audi's A8 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, for example, have power sunshades on the rear window. The shades go up and down with the touch of a button on the dashboard. There also are attached sunshades on the rear doors of the A8 and S-Class. They're made of a fine netting material. Back-seat riders can raise and lower these shades manually.

Saab offers a ventilated driver seat. The system employs a fan built into the driver's leather seat cushion. The fan circulates air under the driver's posterior—a method used in some commercial truck applications.

If cold drinks are what you lust after while traveling on hot, dry days, don't miss the GMC Sierra Professional trucks. They come with a temperature-controlled cupholder that keeps a beverage cold or warm. The center console also holds a thermal-electric seven-quart-capacity cooler that can keep drinks and lunches hot or cold. It runs off the vehicle battery but employs a smart switch to keep from running down the battery completely.